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Braxton Zekk
Braxton Zekk was a Human male Jedi Knight who served the New Jedi Order throughout the Yuuzhan Vong War and beyond. Born on Ennth in 7 ABY, Zekk became an orphan after his mother died and his father went missing in action. He then was taken in by his foster-grandfather, Stone Peckhum, who taught him a great deal about street-smarts until befriending the Solo twins Jaina and Jacen. After a fall to the dark side of the Force in his teenage years, he trained to be a Jedi Knight. Zekk would later go on to participate in the offensives against the Yuuzhan Vong and Dark Nest. During the Dark Nest Crisis, he and Jaina became Joiners and formed a particularly strong mental connection with one another. Biography Early life Braxton Zekk was born in the year 7 ABY on the planet Ennth, where he spent the first few years of his life. When he was about four years old, Zekk's father, Morton, left on a mission on behalf of the New Republic and never returned. Unfortunately, during this period of time was when his mother passed away, effectively rendering the young boy an orphan. As a result, Zekk was taken in by his foster-grandfather; the old spacer Stone Peckhum. Life on Coruscant Zekk shared a mid-level apartment on Coruscant with Peckhum and his wife that had been abandoned during the Galactic Civil War. Zekk had a degree of freedom that most children didn't have, since Peckhum was often away running supplies in his beat-up freighter, the Lightning Rod, or working as a caretaker for one of the many Orbital Solar Energy Transfer Satellites that surrounded Coruscant. Zekk would often leave the apartment to explore Coruscant's undercity, where he discovered that he had something of a talent for finding things that were valuable. This talent was hit-or-miss, though. On one occasion Zekk climbed down forty-two stories of an abandoned turbolift shaft to find that what seemed to be a glittering object was actually a piece of foil wrapping stuck to some ooze. Zekk would give the valuable scraps of metal, trinkets, and lost objects that he found to Peckhum, who knew how to sell them and whom to sell them to in order to put food on the table. However, the things that Zekk found were collected faster than Peckhum could sell them and as a result, they accumulated inside their apartment. Zekk's knowledge of Coruscant's undercity and his talent for finding things caught the eye of Norys, the leader of a gang known as the Lost Ones. Though Norys derided Zekk as a "trash collector," he wanted Zekk to be his right-hand man so that he could access Zekk's vast knowledge of the streets of Coruscant's undercity. Zekk refused the offer because he didn't want to be the accessory of a bully like Norys. Norys didn't react well to the rejection, and while he decided that he wouldn't care if Zekk was maimed or killed, he still kept the invitation to join the Lost Ones open. Meeting the Solo kids Sometime around 18 ABY, Zekk met Jaina Solo and her brother Jacen. Though he was aware of—and somewhat resented—the fact that they were better off than himself, Zekk didn't allow that to keep him from becoming friends with the twins. Zekk and the twins, as well as their brother Anakin, had many adventures together. Eventually Jacen and Jaina left for Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, leaving Zekk behind on Coruscant.Junior Jedi Knights: Anakin's Quest The Solo twins would later return to Coruscant with their friends Tenel Ka and Lowbacca for a month-long vacation. On the first day that they were there, they joined Zekk for yet another adventure into the undercity of Coruscant, where they discovered an abandoned Imperial shuttle and helped Zekk "acquire" a hawk-bat egg. After that, Zekk invited them to a midday meal of stormtrooper rations at his apartment. Jaina eventually suggested that in return, she and Jacen should invite him to a diplomatic dinner that would be held a couple of days later. Zekk accepted the invitation and had Peckhum help him select some new clothes that would help him fit in at the banquet. Before Peckhum left once again to attend to his duties as the caretaker of an OSETS, Zekk promised the old man that he would find a central multitasking unit that would be needed to make the broken-down station more fit for Human habitation. A day later, Zekk made his way to the Imperial Palace to attend the banquet. At the moment that he met C-3PO, the Solos' droid, Zekk's well-hidden resentment of the difference between his social status and that of his friends returned. The prissy droid stated that Zekk's "new" clothes were out of style and attempted to comb out the tangles in his long hair. The height of Zekk's embarrassment came at the banquet when Jaina pointed out to him that he had eaten a bouquet, which he had mistaken for a salad. Jaina's mother, Leia Organa Solo, not wishing for Zekk to be publicly embarrassed also had her family eat the bouquets. After the diplomatic function was over, Zekk furiously left the Imperial Palace as quickly as possible. He was unaware at the time, however, that his gaffe had indirectly helped pave the way for a trade agreement and alliance between the New Republic and the world of Karnak Alpha, as the ambassador had been impressed with Organa Solo's effort to make young Zekk more comfortable. On his way home, he came across Tamith Kai, who was looking for Dark Jedi recruits for the Shadow Academy. Believing that he had the potential to be a very strong initiate, stunned and kidnapped him. Dark Jedi Induction into the Shadow Academy Later, Zekk awoke in a cell aboard the Shadow Academy. His first visitor would be Brakiss, the master of the Shadow Academy. He apologized to him for Tamith Kai's "enthusiasm" and promised that he would be quartered in better lodgings. Brakiss then informed Zekk that the talents that he had used to survive in Coruscant's undercity were no small thing, for they were an unconscious manifestation of Zekk's impressive Force-sensitivity. Brakiss then turned to the task of turning Zekk against his friends Jacen and Jaina. Among other things, Brakiss claimed that the twins knew of Zekk's power and consciously decided not to tell him about it. He also cast doubt upon Zekk's belief that his "friends" or anybody else would come seeking for him, given that he was merely a street youth. Lastly, Brakiss made Zekk question his future. If he chose not to develop his powers, he would be allowed to leave the Shadow Academy and continue his existence as a trash collector and nothing more. Brakiss told Zekk that he would be giving up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make something of himself. After this, Brakiss left Zekk alone with his thoughts and a number of delicious pastries. True to Brakiss' promise, Zekk was eventually assigned better accommodations and given a uniform that he found to be dark and dashing. Darkest Knight The next day, Brakiss brought Zekk to his office and showed him the power that he could wield if he trained at the Shadow Academy. Impressed that he indeed could use the Force, Zekk decided to do so at once. His first assignment on behalf of the Shadow Academy would be recruiting members of the Lost Ones to fill the ranks of the Second Imperium. Zekk would be accompanied to the headquarters of the Lost Ones by Tamith Kai, Garowyn, and Vilas in order to ensure their cooperation, and possibly his as well.Star Wars: The Lost Ones As he recited his speech to a large group of unusually subdued members of the Lost Ones gang, Jacen and Tenel Ka stumbled upon the gathering. Despite Jacen's pleas to him to leave the Shadow Academy, Zekk refused to listen to him, not wanting to squander the opportunity to better himself. He looked on as Jacen and Tenel Ka were stunned and left unconscious on the floor. He left with the new recruits for the Shadow Academy.Star Wars: The Lost Ones Eventually, the Shadow Academy was forced to leave its hiding place near Coruscant, but Zekk managed to keep one last promise to an old friend. Defying his new teachers, he jettisoned a message pod that contained the central multitasking unit that he had promised to get for Peckhum. It also contained a message to his former friends. Zekk's hologram explained his reasons for choosing to train at the Shadow Academy.Star Wars: The Lost Ones After killing Tamith Kai's apprentice Vilas in a forced duel to the death to prove himself, Zekk earned the title "Darkest Knight", and thus Brakiss' right hand man.Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers''Zekk then was chosen to lead Tamith Kai and two other Nightsisters to Kashyyyk. There, he came face to face with the Solo twins, Tenel Ka, and Lowbacca. He faced off with Jaina, then warned her about the attack on the Jedi Praxeum. Because of his feelings for her, Zekk spared her life and fled.Star Wars: Darkest Knight'' End of the Shadow Academy Zekk then led the assault on the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. He proved that he was not completely a Dark Jedi when he refrained from killing Raynar Thul, instead humiliating him in front of other Dark Jedi that were with him so that they would not consider it worth the effort to kill Thull. Most of his Dark Jedi were killed, as was Tamith Kai, and in a last-ditch effort, he walked to the Great Temple, where he had a confrontation with former friend Jaina Solo. She tried her hardest to turn him back to the light, but Zekk refused her efforts, although he did refrain from killing her. After his duel with Jaina, he warned the students to stay away from the Temple, or everyone would die. Shortly thereafter, a bomb inside the Temple went off. Zekk was not as lost as it appeared, for he had saved everyone by keeping them away from the impending explosion. During the explosion, a shard of rock hit Zekk in the head, knocking him out.Star Wars: Jedi Under Siege''Jaina and the others cared for Zekk until he recovered from his injury.Star Wars: Shards of Alderaan'' Bounty hunter After recovering, Zekk was asked to stay at the Academy and train as a Jedi, but he refused, fearing he'd fall to the dark side again. Trying to decide what to do next, Zekk returned to Ennth, his homeworld, arriving during one of its destructive cycles. Zekk used the Lightning Rod, which Peckhum had given to him as a going-away present, to help evacuate as many colonists as possible, but soon realized that Ennth was no longer where he belonged. Having always been good at finding things, Zekk decided to learn how to become a bounty hunter, believing that his skills would enable him to become one of the best bounty hunters available.Star Wars: Shards of Alderaan Perhaps through the will of the Force, Zekk's bounties always seemed to be connected with the missing Bornan Thul. Because of this, Zekk crossed paths with a bounty hunter he thought to be Boba Fett, actually Ailyn Vel in disguise. He also took the opportunity to ask about proper business conduct while working bounties.Star Wars: Shards of Alderaan''He shared his information with Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, Raynar Thul, and Lowbacca, and together they stopped the threat that was the Diversity Alliance. Zekk then realized that he had too much of a conscience to be a bounty hunter, and finally had enough faith in himself to be trained as a Jedi.Star Wars: The Emperor’s Plague'' Personality and traits Braxton Zekk was good-natured, strong, stubborn, and usually ready to take on any challenge. Having grown up as an orphan, Zekk became very independent. As such, he learned early on to stand up for himself and constantly had only his own skills to rely on, scavenging what he could and finding his way first around the galaxy, then through the lower levels of Coruscant, unaware he was being aided by his affinity with the Force. This talent allowed him to find valuable items others could not and even meet people such as the Solo twins that would change his destiny. Zekk was a loyal friend and had an unusual sense of humor; he was the only one who laughed at Jacen Solo's jokes. In spite of this, he was bitter over growing up without parents and living without the luxuries that were afforded to his friends. Zekk was characterized by his take-charge attitude and would often go after what he felt, not caring about the repercussions. Seduced by the promises of a better life, Zekk became a pupil at the Shadow Academy where he was a keen learner. He became the best apprentice of the academy after he beat his rival Vilas. After being redeemed, he sought his own way in life and became a bounty hunter, though he ultimately turned away from that way of life after realizing how amoral that way of life was. When he became a Jedi he was absolutely against acts of revenge and would attempt to point out the flaws of such actions to his friends. He was described by some Jedi as "clever and mysterious" and many females thought he was a definite charmer. Zekk had a bit of an ego as well, once half-jokingly describing himself as a badass. Relationships Friends Jacen Solo Romances Jaina Solo Appearances }} Notes and references Category:Humans Category:Males Category:Inhabitants of Ennth Category:Zekk family Category:Scavengers Category:Bounty hunters Category:Dark Jedi Category:Joiners Category:Jedi Knights of the New Jedi Order Category:Inhabitants of Coruscant Category:Members of the Lost Ones